Latest news with #ForThePeople
Extra.ie
10 hours ago
- Entertainment
- Extra.ie
Dropkick Murphys announce new album and release single
The Dropkick Murphys have announced their new album, For The People, set for release on July 4. The record will be the band's 13th studio album. It includes 12 tracks featuring collaborations with musicians such as Billy Bragg, The Scratch, The Mary Wallopers and Al Barr. The album closes with a tribute to the late Shane MacGowan of The Pogues. The band also released a new single 'Who'll Stand With Us?', the first from their forthcoming longplayer. The song addresses themes of class division and social injustice in the United States. The music video shows people being disappeared, a reference to the Trump administration's recent mass deportations. 'Who'll Stand With Us?' is 'a call for unity, a return to sanity, and a look at what – and who–is really dividing us… When the billionaires and broligarchs get done neutering society, what's left for the rest of us? The song aims to frame class warfare for what it is,' read a statement from the band. Dropkick Murphys will launch their U.S. Summer of Discontent tour with Bad Religion on July 22. Ahead of that, the band known for their Celtic-infused punk sound will perform at Fenway Park in Boston on July 11.
Forbes
5 days ago
- Business
- Forbes
The Prosecutor Who Pioneered A New Path Home From Prison
Hillary Blout Hillary Blout founded For The People in 2019 to work with prosecutors to safely bring people home from prison, reuniting families and strengthening communities. Here, we discuss why pathways for second chances are important and how her team secured AB 2942—the first Prosecutor-Initiated Resentencing law in the United States. Michael Zakaras: Hillary, let's go back to the beginning. Why did you become a prosecutor, and what did you discover about the role? Hillary Blout: Being from a community that experienced violence and crime, I thought there was value in becoming a prosecutor who treated everybody fairly. After all, prosecutors are the most powerful actors in our justice system. They decide if someone should be charged with a crime, and recommend how long they should go to prison. Later in my career, as I worked with organizations addressing the root causes of incarceration, I realized something: for prosecutors, a case ends at sentencing, but that's just the beginning for each of the nearly 2 million people behind bars. How could I be part of a system that sends all these people to prison without wondering what happens after the gavel strikes? My job was about public safety, but I came to see that we're not getting safer communities by keeping rehabilitated people in prison. Plus, it's costly. In California, taxpayers spend over $130,000 per year to incarcerate each person. Zakaras: Seeing the broader picture, what did you do next? Blout: I pivoted to working on statewide reform and learned from leaders who had been doing this work long before me. Still, I couldn't shake the idea that prosecutors could contribute to system-wide innovations if given the chance. I searched for laws allowing prosecutors to revisit past sentences in the interest of justice, but found nothing. The very people who'd asked for long sentences had no authority to revisit them—even as sentencing norms evolved over the past 30 years. Zakaras: So you envisioned a different way forward. Tell us more. Blout: Yes. I approached fellow prosecutors asking, 'If we had a law allowing you to revisit past sentences at your discretion, would you use it?" They said yes, that sounded reasonable, and this became my starting point—getting a law passed. So in 2019, AB 2942 became the first law of its kind in the country. We've since passed this law or rule in six states, Utah being the latest. What I've learned along the way is that our justice system values 'finality' above all. So what some saw as a 'small legislative fix" created questions about the overall design of our justice system, ultimately offering a new idea for updating and improving it. Zakaras: With implications for millions, we might add. Stepping back for a minute, why are there so many harsh sentences? Blout: Starting in the late 1970s and peaking in the 1990s, 'tough on crime' and 'war on drugs" policies took hold. Legislatures passed more laws enabling longer prison sentences. Prosecutors from that era tell me they were instructed to 'get the max," referring to maximum sentences, of course, and the 1994 Crime Bill incentivized prison construction with federal funding. Fast forward to today: now we see Republicans from conservative states talking about reentry programs. Over time, we've realized that in the majority of cases, keeping people in prison longer yields diminishing returns. Once rehabilitated, people should return to their communities as contributing taxpayers, parents, caregivers, and neighbors. And coming back to costs, we can also divert some of the $80B spent annually on incarceration to preventative measures that support mental health, housing, education, and recovery from substance use. Zakaras: What might a different justice system look like? Blout: The system historically relied on indeterminate sentences, 'life' or 'virtual life' sentences, which led to very low rates of release. Prison should be what we resort to after exhausting all other viable options such as diversion, jail, or workplace reentry programs. We should be working to get people ready to return home, not working to keep them inside forever. With over 600,000 people leaving prison every year and recidivism rates between 40–70%, a system that prioritizes dignity and rehabilitation would make our communities healthier—and cost less. Zakaras: You started your organization, For The People, in 2019. How does it support prosecutors involved in resentencing? Blout: First, we help pass laws that enable prosecutors to revisit past sentences. Then, we support implementation of these laws. We help prosecutors, prison officials, and others launch resentencing units to find people who are unnecessarily incarcerated. We provide technical support, analyze data, and help identify cases that fit their criteria. We also interface with incarcerated people and families to understand their stories—their childhood, what led to their crime, what they've done since incarceration, and their future plans. Prosecutors have to feel confident when they ask a court to release someone, so we apply our tested methodology, working together to find people who are ready to come home. Once people are home, we walk alongside them and help them access key services like job training, housing, and cash stipends so they can thrive. Zakaras: How do you help prosecutors see the broader implications of their decisions, including for public safety? Blout: Recently, we brought partner prosecutors to one of the largest women's prisons in the world. They heard about people's pathways to incarceration and the consistent themes of traumatic abuse, unstable homes, foster care, role models of violence, and gangs. The humility emerges when a prosecutor says, 'I can't say that I wouldn't have done the exact same thing you did, if my circumstances were the same. How then can I cast judgment on whether you're good or bad?' This humility is where growth happens. Zakaras: And this kind of realization has ripple effects through the system, no doubt. Blout: Right. The next phase is exploring how this work transforms the justice system as a whole. Is it changing how prosecutors approach a defendant in the courtroom? Are they rethinking prison versus diversion programs? We've had prosecutors tell us, 'I was in the courtroom, and the person in front of me reminded me of someone we resentenced. It had me thinking differently.' We want to measure what 'differently' means in practice. We are also focusing on tech innovations that can help prosecutors look back more efficiently. We've partnered with data scientists at UC-Berkeley to develop a tech tool that optimizes the initial phase of the case review process. And we're working to better understand how resentencing plays out across factors like race and gender—especially for women, who are often overlooked in the criminal justice system. Zakaras: Last question, Hillary. In our hyper-polarized times, how do you maintain bipartisan support and bring everyone along with the change? Blout: As a prosecutor, I worked with colleagues across the political spectrum and on different sides of the courtroom. We could agree to disagree respectfully. When starting this work, I knew we needed diverse support. One of California's most hardcore prosecutors told me, 'I support this law. We may not agree on other things, Hillary, but on this, I agree.' So we try to build a big tent. It's okay if we don't agree on everything, but very often, there is one thing we can agree on: there are people in prison who are simply ready to come home. Hillary Blout is an Ashoka Fellow. You can read more about her here. This interview has been edited and condensed by Ashoka.
The Hindu
07-05-2025
- Sport
- The Hindu
UFC 315: Belal Muhammad vs Jack Della Maddalena fight preview, fight card, streaming info
Montreal will play host to the Ultimate Fighting Championship's (UFC) most anticipated fight on May 11 as America's Belal Muhammad gears up to defend his title for the first time. Belal, who made his UFC debut back in 2016, had to wait for his shot at the welterweight title — eight years, to be precise. And when the opportunity arose, he stepped up and seized it with both hands. True to his nickname 'Remember The Name', Belal secured a statement unanimous decision win over Leon Edwards at UFC 304 to clinch the belt. Like a fine wine, Belal has improved with age and has become a master strategist inside the cage, combining endurance with relentless pace. He pairs this suffocating pressure with ever-improving striking technique to systematically break down and overwhelm his opponents. His fight record is indicative of his wait-and-strike approach — just six out of his 24 professional wins have come via finishes and the rest have been decisions. The strategy was evident in his bout against Edwards. Twenty seconds into the fight, Belal initiated a successful takedown as he pinned the Englishman towards the cage and dropped him in a flash. That was perhaps an indication of what was about to unfold. ALSO READ | UFC Des Moines: Sandhagen beats Figueiredo via TKO, calls for shot at bantamweight title With a total of nine takedowns and 68 significant strikes, Belal dominated his opponent for the majority of the fight and took home a convincing victory. That win marked his sixth straight triumph, extending an impressive unbeaten streak that now spans 11 fights over the past five years. REMEMBER THE NAME 🏆@BullyB170 defeats Leon Edwards by unanimous decision to become the NEW welterweight champion of the world! [ B2YB @ForThePeople | #UFC304 ] — UFC (@ufc) July 28, 2024 Standing across from him will be Perth's Jack Della Maddalena, a fighter who is also riding a massive wave of momentum. Initially scheduled to face Edwards earlier this year, circumstances now pit him against Belal. Della enters this title opportunity on an incredible 17-fight winning streak in professional MMA. Since joining the UFC roster after impressing on Dana White's Contender Series (DWCS) in 2021, he has had seven consecutive wins, including five finishes. Belal will likely deliver grappling exchanges with relentless pressure, while Della will rely on his knockout power and finishing instincts. For Della, a victory would make him only the third Australian fighter — after Robert Whittaker and Alexander Volkanovski — to capture UFC gold. In the co-main event, Valentina Shevchenko prepares for the first title defence of her second reign against French contender Manon Fiorot. Shevchenko decisively reclaimed the championship from Alexa Grasso at UFC 306 last September. Now, 'Bullet' aims to demonstrate her enduring dominance as she enters her remarkable 12th consecutive flyweight title fight. Challenging her is the patient and powerful Fiorot. Since losing her professional debut, Fiorot has been undefeated, stringing together 12 wins on the trot, including seven victories within the UFC. She cemented her position as the No. 1 contender by dominating Erin Blanchfield last March. UFC 315: Muhammad vs Della Maddalena full fight card Main Event: Belal Muhammad vs Jack Della Maddalena Co-Main Event: Valentina Shevchenko vs. Manon Fioro José Aldo vs Aiemann Zahabi Alexa Grasso vs Natalia Silva Benoît Saint Denis vs Kyle Prepolec Prelims Mike Malott vs Charles Radtke Jessica Andrade vs Jasmine Jasudavicius Modestas Bukauskas vs Ion Cutelaba Navajo Sterling vs Ivan Erslan Marc-Andre Barriault vs Bruno Silva Daniel Santos vs JeongYeong Lee Brad Katona vs Bekzat Almakhan Streaming information UFC 315: Muhammad vs Della Maddalena will be streamed live on the SonyLIV app/website. The event will also be telcast across the Sony Sports Network.
Yahoo
26-04-2025
- Business
- Yahoo
Skoden Coffee & Tea combines traditional Native American cuisine with activism
Anna Ehrick Cronkite News PHOENIX – For Indigenous small business owner Natasha John, the road to owning a coffee shop has been long. About 300 miles, in fact. John first opened Skoden Coffee & Tea as a pop-up in Window Rock, the capital of the Navajo Nation, traveling to areas throughout the vast community in northeast Arizona. When people suggested she should move the business 300 miles south to Phoenix, John recalled she doubted the idea. 'I was really against it because I thought I wanted to be like a food hub on the reservation because it's such a food desert,' John said. 'But I had the reassurance from my partner and colleagues that were helping me with pop-ups.' When an opportunity came in December 2023 to move the enterprise to a vacant spot inside For The People, an uptown Phoenix furniture store on Central Avenue, she jumped at the chance. 'Fortunately, we had a lot of success with that first location,' she said. 'When business owners say location means everything, it really does.' Skoden Coffee & Tea has now settled in its most recent home inside Central Records, a record store on Central Avenue south of Roosevelt Street. It's inspired by Japanese-style coffee shops referred to as 'kissa.' That's a shortened version of 'kissaten,' roughly translated to 'tea drinking shop.' In Japan, a kissa is a spot where people can listen to music, usually jazz, while enjoying their tea. At Skoden, a variety of beverages and pastries are inspired by Indigenous cuisine, with ingredients like blue corn and oat milk alongside coffees and espressos. Among the most popular offerings are the Diné Matcha Latte, Honey Lavender Lez Love, Peach and Pecan Latte as well as blue corn donuts and croissants. For John and co-owner Jo Manuelito, it's important to include elements of nostalgia from growing up on the reservation. This includes beverages that use Navajo tea, an ancient herbal tea using the dried leaves of Greenthread, also known as Thelesperma. The herb, with its thread-like leaves, contains anti-inflammatory elements, which is why the tea has been used for hundreds of years as tribal medicine. 'We do research into trying to restore a lot of things that were lost during colonization in our diets,' John said. 'One thing that a lot of Navajo people are trying to revive is the use of sumac. It's used in a lot of Middle Eastern communities, but our ancestors used to harvest it as well.' The use of ancestral ingredients is what John believes will help the Navajo community not only nourish themselves but stay connected to their culture. Being Indigenous and LGBTQ+, John said she recognizes some of the difficulties she has faced as a business owner. 'I feel like there's a lot of judgment and high expectations,' she said. 'People are constantly projecting onto us, always watching us and judging. This whole experience has taught me that we really need to grow thicker skin.' John said they want all customers to feel safe and welcomed, and said it helps that the shop is surrounded by other supportive small businesses like Greater Good and Last Laugh Tattoo. Skoden has a growing Instagram presence, with more than 15,000 followers. It hosts fundraising events for diverse communities and music festivals featuring small bands. 'Everybody does a good job of uplifting each other, and we get a lot of people in the area that come in and support local business owners,' John said. 'The shop can take credit for being a safe space where people can share the same values and ideas on social issues.' Charlie Amáyá Scott, a Native American scholar and transgender advocate, has visited Skoden and said her favorite drink is the Navajo lavender-infused honey tea. 'I adore Skoden Coffee,' said Scott, who also works as a social media influencer. She has taken to Instagram to support the shop, encouraging others who live near the area to check it out. She also has spoken out about the shop's role in activism and support of certain movements like Bears Ears, which involves a coalition of five Indigenous communities who want to protect the Bears Ears National Monument. John said she wants customers to leave Skoden feeling supported and renewed. 'We have to remind each other what we're doing this for and go back to those values of why we started this business,' she said. 'For us, it's not about making money but trying to create change through serving coffee and providing a space where people can just heal.' For more stories from Cronkite News, visit
